What just happened? KTVZ, a news station in Oregon, accidentally showed a screenshot from Rockstar's open-world western in its 'Out & About' segment dedicated to sharing scenic photos of the season. Among several real-life pictures of vibrant skies, towering summits, and misty lakes, came an image of Red Dead Redemption 2's Cumberland waterfalls and Dakota river of New Hanover with snowy, rugged mountains of Ambarino in the backdrop.
Rockstar's lovingly-crafted world of Red Dead Redemption 2 is still a sight to behold after two years, with a moving story and exceptional visuals that easily mask the game's somewhat clunky controls and gunplay. It's breathing open-world might be a bit too laid-back for some, but it's one of those games where simply exploring or wandering around feels just as rewarding as carrying out a frenetic mission.
Of course, to nail the authenticity, Rockstar took inspiration from real-world locations across North America that often look so convincing that an Oregon-based News station recently included one of the game's screenshots by mistake in its 'Out & About' segment meant to show real-life imagery of the outdoors.
Ayeeeeeeeeee from r/RedDeadOnline
According to the Reddit user whose daughter made the submission, it's not the first time this has happened, and it's unlikely going to be the last, especially considering how next-gen graphical improvements will further push the visual boundaries and complexities of game worlds.
It's also not the first time that a Rockstar game has been mistaken for reality either. Last year, a Pakistani politician was fooled by GTA V's visuals after mistaking a game clip of an airplane avoiding an oil tanker for a real-life incident.
RDR2, however, looks even better as it's a much newer game, though its ol' western setting and style might not be to everyone's tastes. Thankfully, the barrier to exploring its gorgeous open-world has now been lowered to just $5 temporarily following Rockstar's decision to release Red Dead's multiplayer mode as a separate game.